SUNDAY, By ‘dichael Becker News Editor THE distinctive twin wouden towers of St. Paul’s Indian Catholic Church have withstood over a century’s worth of North Shore rain- fall. The nationally signiticant North Shore landmark is in need of restoration. The incessant damp has taken its toll. Father Dennis Alexander is spearheading a funding drive on behalf of the Save the St. Paul’s Indian Church Society. The parish is reaching out to the broader community in a bid to raise the $200,000 required to restore the two 85-toot (26 m) towers. Said Alexander, “We have a small congregation. We get probably 200 people on a Sunday. That’s really a heavy burden for them to raise $200,000.” The wooden framing inside of the towers is deteriorating. The (original) wooden exterior will also have to be replaced. “We'll only replace what is absolutely necessary of the fram- ing, but we don’t know what will have to be replaced until we open it up,” Alexander said. The rest of the church, already restored, remains sound. The church was built by the Squamish Nation people in 1884. “Tr’s miraculous that it has lasted this long. It used to be a navigational point for the harbor. It’s the oldest wood structure in the Lower Mainland. As a historical building it’s really of prime importance,” Alexander said. There are some days, however, when he wishes it were made of brick. “Wood in this kind of climate... there's a lor more maintenance in a wood building.” ; To date, $11,000 has been raised to rebuild the church towers. The society is aiming to reach its goal of raising $200,000 by the spring so that work on the towers can be done in the summer. “Ie will rake a few months. All of the (exterior) boards have to be angle cut, so there’s an awful lot of cutting to do,” Alexander said. The church will then be repainted. Jerry Nahanee, who works at the nearby Mosquito Creek Marina, belongs to the parish. Sunday, December 15, 1996 ~ North Shore News — 17 DECEMBER Photos North Vancouver Museum and Archives (left)/Terry Peters (above) EVELYN Joseph, 6, and a friend (photo left) play in front of St. Paul’s in 1958. The girls were watching the preparation for a festival to aid restoration of the church. Jerry Nahanee's (above) family originally helped to build the church. Right now the good father is “twisting his arm” to get the marina to donate some money to the restoration project. Said Nahanee, “My great-great grandparents were the ones involved in the building of the church. Through them we have an attachment to it. We also did some of the foundation renovations way back when I was a teenager.” Tax deductible donations can be made to the preservation trust of the Save the St. Paul’s Indian Church Society, 424 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, V7M 147. For more information contact Father Dennis Alexander at 988-1323. Centennial Theatre Centre: Dec. 15, 11:30 and 2 pn. Boundary Elementary School's Christmas Concert Dee. 16. Information; 985-7101. Blueridge Elementary Schaol’s Winter Concert Dee. 18, information: 929-1055, Seymour Heights Elementary School's Winter Concert Dec. 19. 103 Thunderbird Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets present a Chrisimas concert featuring the combined concert band of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. $5/3, Dec. 20 at 7 pam. Tickets: 984-4484, Highlands United Church: Showcase "96. 10 selected classical, jizz piano and vocal jaz stu- dents plus Holly Burke and the Fran Jare Trio. Dee. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Free, donations welcome. Mount Seymour United Church: Christmas Concert. $10/8. The Celesta Girls’ Choir pre- sents A Celestial Chrisonas: Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. St. Andrew’s United Church: Laudate Singers present A Chrisenas Journey. Choral music spanning eight centuries. Dec. 20, 8 p.m. Info: 280-2801. Hendry Hall Theatre: Tie Snowglobe written and directed by North Van. Players’ own Kathleen Denkewalter. A young boy's voyage to a fantasy world on Christmas Eve., to Dec. 15, Fridays. 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. 1 p.m. 3 p.m. Reservations, 983-2633. Shaw Theatre: Hickory, Dickory, Doc. Deep Cove Stage present their annual Christmas pin- tomime. Dec. 18-21. 27, 28, Jan. 2+ at 8 p.m. Dec. 21, 26, 28, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. Reservations: 929-3204), Vancouver East Cultural Centre: /2 Minutes Max VIH. A collection of 12-minute dance and theatre vignettes from a variety of artists including North Shore dancer Jill Henis and News theatre critic and director Martin Millerchip. Dec. 16/17 at 8 p.m. Firehall Arts Centre: Mom, Dad, I'm Living With a White Girl. Marty Chan's comic twisting of racial stereotyping featuring North Vancouver's Dona Yamamoto. Held over to Dec, 22. Reservations: 689-0926. A century of worship HIGHLIGHTS of St. Paul’s Indian Catholic Church structural history as provided by archivist Father Thomas Lascelles: 4 Chief Snat and his wife Mary are baptized as Catholics in New Westminster in 1863; > Chief Snat, Squamish Nation members and Oblate Brothers build a small first church at the Mission Reserve site in 1886; > the present church is built in 1884 at a cost of 33,0U0; extensive renovations are done in 1969-1910 with the installation of corner towers, transepts and stained glass win- dows; the church is repaired in 1948; potlatches are held in 1966 for further renova- tion; “ St. Paul's is designated a national historic site in 1981; o, . . extensive repairs are conducted in 1986. NEWS photo Mike Wakefield TONY Atkins sings Christmas carols with the Capilano elementary school inter- mediate choir at Park Royal shopping centre on Tuesday afternoon.